Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-10-06
The Percussion Shells.
by W. Q. sToppAnp.

Randall" said the Colonel of ar
tillery to the red-faced young man be-
fore him, these are what / wish to
have delivered first. You must exer-
else great care in handling them. They
do not go off easily, but small tap
right here will explode them"
His finger was onthe nose of three
inch percussion shell as he spoke. 1t
was very neatly finished affair, of q
new pattern, from which important re-
suits We're expected by artillerists.
The shells were to explode on strik-
ing, and scatter everything in front of
them in thoroughly scientific manner.
"All right, sir" said Randall. "Weli
get them out on the levee as fast as we
can and the ammunition wagons can
come for them"
@Ill not send any until you report a
sufficient number of shell ready for
transportation.
"All right, sir, said Randall, as he
touched his hat and marched out of the
Colonel's quarters; but he added to
himself:
"They're little the worst-looking
death machines ever saw. I shall be
glad when the last of them are on the
levee.
He was mate of one of the smallest
ironrclad "turtle-back" gunboats of the
Mississippi squadron, and had been
detailed in charge of an ammunition
barge or "powder-boat" She had been
towed down the river, with full cargo,
and now lay with her head against the
levee at the powder landing" between
three and four miles above Memphis.
It was early in the fourth year of the
civil war, and it was well understood
that q great deal of ammunition would
yet be required.
An hour or so later, Randall stood
at his post upon the stern of the barge,
Watching q score of "roustabouts, !"
who were going and coming, busily
employed in removing the percussion
shells called for by the Colonel.
Every man of them was deeply i'm
pressed with the solemnity of the work
he was doing, and was visibly afraid of
each burden he brought up from the
hold of the barge. All the customary
shouting and singing had subsidized into
bctitting gravity. There were no
loungers on the levee, for the sentries
posted ut suitable distances prevented
the approach Of unauthorized persons.
No other craft of any sort was moored
near the barge which contained SO
many tons of compressed powder and
peril.
The ridge of the levee was many feet
above the river level. and was already
lined with the terrible cylinders, whose
yet undimmed copper glistened in the
sunshine.
NEARLY DONE" said Randall, aloud,
"ahd I'm glad Of it. Can't say I've
any nerves to speak of, but I'd rather
move a hundred loads of mere powder
or ordinary shell. don't like those
things"
He glanced down at the muddy tor
rent of the Mississippi, rushing by in
millrace haste. and added:
I'D be safer in the middle of the
river than am here"
He was undoubtedly man CT cour-
age, and his nerves were such as fitted
him for his present duty, but he was
unable to put away from him q strong
sense of the lonely peril of his post
Neither could he avoid kind of vague
calculation OF the enormous destruc-
tive forces chained in the cargo con-
cealed by the deck he stood upon.
Tramp, tramp, tramp, with somber
steadiness, the athletic "roustabouts"
went down the companion-way or came
up again, each, in turn, bearing one or
more of the new explosives. These did
not make an unduly heavy shoulder.
load, and there was no apparent dan
ger OF an accident. The veteran artil-
ieryman, down in the hold, who super
intended the picking up and shoulder
ing, had been ceaseless in his admoni
tons, and every shell had been lifted
with clear understanding that, as one
"roustabout" expressed it:
"Ef | should sneeze, de shell would
take dat advantage and go off.
transport steamer coming down
the r-ver seemed to sheer away from
the powder landing as if it were a
place to be stunned; and Randall may
nave been justified in saying that
The gulls fly high over it, and even
the bnzzards wouldn't light on dead
mule if lie lay on this levee. It's dreary
work"
And so it was, and without extra pay
OF honor. except for the @roustabonts, .
who received double wages. They
were all picked men, and as we'll fitted
ior that serYico as any whito mon, but
the Colonel of artillery had remarked
Of them:
I'd rather lose them than as many
Vo unteers if anything should happen"
All war material, human or other,
mas Its assignable value when the ques-
no non fits expenditure has to be raised.
ETen a commanding general knows
what regiment he can best afford to re-
port as part of the price paid for vic
.oFy. The Colonel did not put any es-
innate upon Randall or the old artil-
tneryman n down in the hold of tho barge.
Inc latter was now mopping his fore
mead with his bandana and saying to
.he arriving squad of "roustanouts:.
only coup of do zen more, boys,
ana al, then we can get out of this oven.
rs almost hot enough to fire barrel
O guuPowder without any fuse or
match either"
Each in turn picked up and shoul-
usfed the shell assigned to him and
wheeled toward the companionway.
handall, on the stern of the barge,
: nun BIS pencil and tally-book in his
nahd, took due no.e of every man and
sneil, but now and then seemed dis
pvsea TO turn and stare fur a second or